Blood Ties
by icedragongurl
Summary: A branch off of 'Stuck Between Heaven And Hell' Gin struggles to regain his position as Taicho of the third division but not all of Soul Society is all that welcoming... Chapter 1 has been edited and extended
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Blood Ties

**Author:** icedragongurl

**Pairing:** Gin/Matsumoto

**Side Pairings: **Ichigo/Rukia Shunsui/Nanao

**Chapters:** 1/4

**Anime:** Bleach

**Summary:** A break off from my popularly demanded fanfic Stuck Between Heaven and Hell

**IMPORTANT Author Note: **I rewrote the ending to this and added little bits in here and there, so be sure to read this again if it's been awhile since you read it! ~ **_icedragongurl_**

_**10 years after ending of Stuck Between Heaven and Hell**_

An explosion could be heard not too far off, Matsumoto felt her pulse quicken as she hastened to where her husband was training. Cursing the gods above if anything had happened to the stubborn jerk. He was so determined to get back in shape so that he could try to re-obtain the Taicho title. Who was she to try to keep him from doing so? She forced herself to move faster. Of course he was strong enough to take care of himself, but that didn't stop her from worrying about him. Sure enough when she arrived, he was perfectly fine except for a few bruises.

Gin coughed and took in a breath of air before collapsing onto his back to stare at the sky. This had proven to be more difficult then he imagined, even his Kidou was off because of the injury in his arm. First he had taken to getting better at his demon magic before heading straight into using a sword. After all, he already knew that it would be more difficult to get back into, seeing as he'd have to start all over from the beginning with his other arm. A grumble escaped him; he was getting rather annoyed with his pesky arm and leg. He felt like an old man but he wasn't THAT old, only 344 but who was counting…besides Rangiku?

Speak of the devil and they will show. His wife leapt down from a tree branch above him, landing elegantly beside him. Her Blue eyes shone with obvious worry, she reached a hand down towards him

"Gin! Are you okay?" she asked with a small unsure smile on her face. He brushed off the concern and grabbed her sleeve to pull her down to her knees. She gave him a weird look before he gave her sudden kiss on the lips. Her eyes widened for a moment before she relaxed and shared a brief moment of passion with him. After their kiss was broken he sighed deeply and stood back up, brushing the dirt off of his pants.

"Ran-chan, I can't focus with ya poppin' in like this." She pouted cutely.

"I can't help it… you make me worry so much sometimes… It drives me insane! Which is beside the point, I came to tell you something that'll make you happy."The silver haired man looked over at her with suspicion as he prepared to do a little sword practice.

"What?" he asked as she grinned,

"We're going to be a family of four!" he blinked and it took a second for what she said to sink in. When it did he pulled her into a tight embrace, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm so happy! Now Yousha will have a friend to play with!" Rangiku smirked smugly

"She already has Hisana Kurosaki... she's about her age and they've become fast friends." Gin scowled and shook his head to dismiss that idea,

"That kid's spoiled, after how smothering that pansy assed Byakuya is with his niece, I'm surprised he doesn't think she's the reincarnation of his dead wife." Matsumoto smacked on the shoulder for that comment

"Be nice." He gave his evil lecherous grin at that comment; he leaned in and began to place small kisses upon her neck. Matsumoto couldn't help but tilt her head upwards to give him better access.

"But I am nice… I'm VERY nice." He said as he paused in his attentions, then with a quick kiss on her lips he pulled away.

"But I'm busy so I'll have to play nice later. I can hear the shrimp calling you for paperwork. Run along." She stuck her tongue out and hurried off, leaving him to return to his work. He thanked whatever gods there were that she hadn't noticed the horrible bruises and scrapes he had that littered his body. He always found himself limping into Unohana's office after training asking her to heal his wounds so Rangiku wouldn't fret over him. Luckily the healer was kinder to him than the others. The others would glare or give him cold looks.

So he tried to destroy Soul Society and worked with Aizen, big whoop! In the end he betrayed the bastard so why… he lashed out his aggravation into a poor innocent tree. His blade bit into the bark and left a new gash among the wooden exterior. It reminded him of the scar on his leg and arm. It was bothering him lately, probably from the stress he was applying upon his body, all the hard work wasn't good for him. He was determined to become the taicho status again before the end of the year, and the New Years was approaching fast. His progress over the previous five years had been great but not so great unfortunately. Gin had received several warnings from Unohana to give his body a break for at the very least a day, but he wouldn't listen.

Kira had paid him a visit a few times, the boy always reminded him of a puppy dog. You could beat it, kick it, abuse it, make it feel worthless, yet it kept coming back to you in the end. He had grown on Gin like a festering wound, painful yet even if you got it fixed the infections it caused or the scar it would leave left a permanent mark on you. The boy came to get updates for Yamamoto to see if he would be ready this new year or not. The first five years that he'd had the deadline he'd let it slide by without even bothering to try, but this year he was determined to get his former title back.

He had paid his apologies to Hinamori, whom even now distrusted him, but since he had married Matsumoto, one of her closest friends, she was a little lenient but not by much. Hitsugaya loathed his existence and took every chance possible to let him know, Shunsui invited him over for drinks even though Nanao would constantly glare death in his direction. Ukitake was not all that fond of him but was still friendly, Zaraki didn't give a damn, Soi Fon ignored him, Mayuri was a typical creepy bastard, Yamamoto kept a strong well deserved eye on him at all times. It was like it had always been…Annoying and boring…Except now he had a wife and family to entertain him… so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Gin rested his back against a tree to catch his breath, looking up he realized it was getting dark. If he wasn't home before Yousha was going to bed, Rangiku and his little daughter would throw hissy fits until he arrived. Letting out a grunt of annoyance he grabbed his training sword and began to head home. He was surprised to see Matsumoto waiting for him, but not as surprised as he was by the silver blur that tackled him with enough force to make him stumble back a few steps.

"Yousha! What are ya doin' up still? It's past yer bed time!" Rangiku smiled as the little girl buried her face into her father's neck and held on tightly to him. Then she spoke quietly, her voice muffled.

"I missed ya To-san… mama said I could come with her ta greet ya…" Rangiku nodded at her husband's amused look. Silently he leaned over and gave Matsumoto a brief kiss before they continued to walk hand in hand to their quaint abode that was paid for by the Gotei 13.

Along the walk Yousha fell asleep and Gin couldn't help but smile, Matsumoto did as well. This was what kept him going. It was the fact that he sacrificed ultimate power for someone to come home to. To know that someone truly cared and thought about him all the time. That someone was looking forward to seeing him arrive at the door, waiting to greet him with a blinding smile, and the warmth of love. His little girl sighed and nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck; Rangiku tucked a stray strand of hair behind their daughters' ear.

"She had a busy day with Hisana, they followed Byakuya around the entire time, until he got so annoyed he passed them onto Renji…you can figure how that ended" she said with a roll of her eyes. He nodded with a smirk of enjoyment. Indeed he could imagine the scream of agony that the red head must have let out at some point of the day. When they arrived to their small home, Gin carried his sleeping daughter to her room. Quietly he tucked her into bed; her eyes blinked open and looked over at him for a second.

"Can't sleep without Haineko-chan." She murmured, her voice muffled by her blankets. With a small smile he nodded. Looking around the room before his eyes found the object that she'd requested. Crossing over to the corner, he picked up the soft pink stuffed cat that he'd bought for her the day she was born. Matsumoto thought that it was adorable that her daughter decided to name the toy after her zanpakuto. Giving the cat to Yousha, he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Quietly he wandered down the hall towards his and Matsumoto's room; candle light lit their room up from the darkness. He was greeted with the pleasant sight of Rangiku's naked back as she slipped into the little nightgown that she bought in the living world. She had said that they were more comfortable to sleep in then the night robes. Who was he to complain? He got easier access without having to fumble around with untying things. Also, the little pale green silk nightie gave him one hell of an amazing view of her amazing legs.

With a playful little smirk he slipped into the room silently, sneaking up behind her, she jumped when his arms wrapped around her waist. Resting his chin on her mostly bare shoulder, he took advantage of every moment in which he could hold her close to him. It was the one thing he had craved the most in Heuco Mundo, Physical Contact. Too many cold nights alone, he'd hated to fall asleep, because her face kept filling his mind. The look of quiet hurt and stunned betrayal as she had watched him leave the soul society surrounded by the protective yellow light.

One he'd managed to catch her again, he'd sworn that she would never have to see his back as he walked way. It was really that simple, because he would never walk away from her. Now that he had the one person dearest to him, he wouldn't let himself lose it because of his selfishness. She chuckled, leaning her cheek against his and resting her hands over his own that sat intertwined upon her stomach. They stood there like that, silent, just basking in the comfort of one another's presence.

Who would thought that picking up that scrawny little girl all those years, would lead him to where he was right at that moment? She sure grew up, filling out in ways that he wouldn't have ever imagined in his wildest dreams. Having a well endowed wife was both a blessing and a curse… A blessing because… well… that part was fairly obvious to anyone with eyes. A curse because he had to fend off all the moronic lustful fools that tried to make advances towards her. That was usually about at least two or three guys that were too busy thinking with the little brain as opposed to the big brain. They never seem to realize that maybe hitting on a former captains wife wasn't a smart idea.

Matsumoto pulled way gently, which confused him briefly, before she turned back around to face him. She let her arms rest around his neck, lifting herself up for a brief yet sweet kiss. Her kisses were definitely worth the wait, no matter how obscenely long of a wait it had been. Everything most certainly worked out in the end for the both of them. His hands held her to him, when she broke the kiss she rested her face against his chest. Her eyes fluttered closed and she took slow even breaths. Then after a few moments like that she spoke.

"You don't have to become a captain again right away. You know that right? Shunsui told me that Sho-Taicho promised not to give the third division a new captain since Kira is handling everything on his own. So why don't you take a break for a couple of days? I'm certain that Taicho will let me take a few days off too. We could go on a family trip or something. How about it?" Her voice was so hopeful, and he knew exactly why she was suddenly asking this of him.

Gin let out an exasperated sigh before tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling,

"Unohana told ya, didn't she?" Rangiku's face snapped up in his direction, her eyes flashing with worry and annoyance.

"Yes, she did!" She pushed out of his arms and looked at him with aggravation etched plainly in her facial features.

"Why didn't you tell me that all this training was dangerous? I understand your determination to earn back your respect, but Gin, if you keep this up you could cause irreparable damage to arm and leg! How would you become a Taicho again then!? Have you thought about that!?" she hissed at him angrily. Uncomfortable with the conversation, he crossed his arms and scowled. This was why he didn't want Unohana to tell Rangiku. Of course it was ridiculous that he thought that the healer would actually keep the whole issue hush hush. He looked out the window at the moon that shone in the night sky, because he couldn't bring himself to look in her eyes.

"I didn't wan' ya ta worry. Cause I knew tha ya'd react like this." She didn't say anything at first, in the corner of his eye he could tell that she hadn't moved. She was just watching him, then after what had felt like forever she moved towards him. Taking his face between both of her hands, she gently brought him to look at her. What he found made his heart skip a beat, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears but shone with pure unadulterated love. As she leaned her forehead against his own she whispered,

"Of course I'll worry silly; I love you that's why I worry. Except as much as I might worry about you, I'll still support you no matter what. That doesn't mean you can try to take over Soul Society again, but it does mean that if you want to try to pass the test this New Year's… then I'll help you in any way that I can. So don't keep everything on your shoulders alone. You hear me?" She had no idea how beautiful she was. He caught her in a passionate kiss, not wanting to have to let themselves separate to breath, but inevitably having to.

He let himself take in the view before him; her hair was messed up but the moonlight made it shine like a halo, blue eyes glowed with the candlelight around them, and her lips were parted as she tried to take in air after that kiss. The sight alone caused a content smile to take a hold of his face, how lucky he was to have caught her. Pulling her into his arms, Gin held her tightly, as if terrified that if he let go he'd wake up back in Heuco Mundo. This whole thing would be some sort of cruel dream, an illusion brought on by Aizen.

Rangiku rested her cheek against his chest, watching him with curiosity. Noticing the dark look that entered his wine red eyes, she placed a hand firmly against his chest and leaned up to place a soft kiss to his lips. Bringing back from the cold place that his mind had traveled to, occasionally she would catch him traveling to a place that made his mood become dark and icy.

"Whatever you're thinking about… don't. Aizen is dead. Tousen is dead. The war is over. We got our happy ending. That's all that matters." After a moment he nodded in agreement, a playful smirk as he swept her up into his arms. She let out a squeak of shock, unprepared for him to carry her over to the bed. Dropping her softly onto the soft futon, she grinned in anticipation. Stalking towards her like a predator, pouncing upon her, it caused Matsumoto to let out a low shriek of excitement. He chuckled before capturing her lips again in a rough kiss.

Possessive yet loving and gentle all at the same time, that was what Gin was like. Her head fell back against the pillows as his lips traveled downward. She caught the brief flash of crimson, luring her deeper into the world that only the two of them shared. His rough hands pushed the green silk up and off of her, leaving her lying in bare flesh before him. In the calm of the night the only thing that one could hear was the whispers of love, the gasp and moans of eternal passion. Through the window of a dark house one could see the blending of warm gold and cold silver. Then after awhile there was silence again, candle light long since died.

Just to bodies wrapped around each other, under covers, cuddled together. Matsumoto had fallen into slumber, unknowing of Gin watching her quietly. His fingers played softly with her hair, causing her to nuzzle closer to his chest. He smiled before pulling the covers higher up and cuddling her in his arms. Allowing sleep to possess him as well, knowing that when he awoke, she would still be there. Still be wrapped in his arms, hair tussled by sleep, they would grab quick morning sex before getting up to get ready for the day.

As he felt himself drifting away, the last true thought that went through his mind was…that at long last, he had found what it meant to be loved. He knew the fear of losing what was important to him. He understood the willingness to sacrifice everything to keep those he cared for safe. Gin buried his face into her hair, taking in the scent that was comforting and familiar. He let the warmth of his wife and lover chase away any of the demons that would have snuck into his dreams. He fell into sleep, with the knowledge that when he awoke, everything would be as it was. His daughter would want his attention, and he would give it to her whole-heartedly. His beloved with tease him constantly and he would most certainly enjoy it. Finally he knew what it was like to truly live.

**TBC**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED!!!!! Now I feel better about the first chapter!!!**


	2. Chapter 1 has been edited and extended

**Author Note: **Hey in case there wasn't anything sent to inform you all about this… but I edited and extended the first chapter of **Blood Ties**… there's a new ending and the formatting is a lot better… I hope you all enjoy!!! Also Chapter Two is currently under way, so all of my fans who have been waiting paitently your paitence shall finally pay off!!! Also If you've read **Stuck Between Heaven and Hell **before you read **Blood Ties **then you'll probably be happy to know that I also plan to edit and extend the four chapters of that as well. Although you must keep in mind that my finals are coming up very soon, and I have a bunch of projects due next week so things will be a little crazy. So it may be two to maybe three weeks til I get the next chapter up. I actually have to run now. I have English Class in not even ten minutes and I have to practically Shunpo across campus to get there... so I shall see you all later!

**Your ever loving and loyal authoress,**

_**icedragongurl**_


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